This invention relates to a flow controller for carbonated beverages and, in particular, to a flow controller for minimizing outgassing of the beverage as dispensed and of the beverage remaining in a bottle.
A carbonated beverage from a bottling company contains a significant amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in water, the two basic ingredients of all carbonated soft drinks. A large amount of carbon dioxide is dissolved in the soft drink to insure a minimal effervescence after the beverage is poured into a glass. Dispensing a carbonated beverage causes a significant loss of carbon dioxide which usually manifests itself as foaming. "Clear" or non-cola beverages foam less than cola beverages and root beer is formulated to sustain a foam.
Foaming and loss of carbonation are related as quantity and quality, not as alternative descriptions of the same problem. Foaming relates to how quickly a beverage can be delivered to a glass or other container. If a great deal of foam is produced, the volume of beverage delivered is relatively low and it takes a long time to fill a glass because of the time it takes for the foam to dissipate. An alternative is to fill the glass while letting the foam spill into a drain, wasting the beverage.
Loss of carbonation occurs in the beverage dispensed and in the beverage remaining in the bottle. In either case, the beverage goes "flat" and the taste is less appealing to most people. Actually, the reduced effervescence weakens the aroma of the beverage, which is interpreted as a loss of taste or flavor. Regardless of what is actually happening, the beverage industry relies on what consumers perceive and the perception is that the beverage has lost its flavor.
With the popularity of the two liter "PET" (polyethyleneterephthalate) bottle, it is extremely important that the beverage in a partially emptied bottle not go flat. The bottling industry addresses the problem by dissolving a large quantity of carbon dioxide in the beverage, creating an unstable, super-saturated solution.
Opening a bottle and pouring a drink reduces the effervescence of the beverage in two ways. Opening or unsealing the bottle releases the CO.sub.2 which has escaped from the beverage during storage. The act of pouring disturbs the beverage, causing the release of the dissolved carbon dioxide from both the beverage being dispensed and the beverage remaining in bottle. Once carbon dioxide is released, it does not re-dissolve. By dissolving a large amount of carbon dioxide in the beverage, the bottlers are attempting to assure that some will remain dissolved when the last of the bottle is poured.
The prior art has addressed the problem of loss of carbonation with a variety of dispensers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,221 (Martin et al.) discloses a dispenser which uses a CO.sub.2 cartridge but adds a foam inhibiting portion including a passageway having two constrictions in the form of Teflon balls of different sizes in the passageway. U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,565 (Sturman et al.) discloses a dispenser which uses a CO.sub.2 cartridge and a pressure regulator to maintain pressure within a bottle and to prevent effervescence within the bottle. The Sturman et al. patent also discloses that "the use of some form of flow restrictor . . . will only aggravate the foaming problem." Neither patent addresses the problem of providing an optimum flow of beverage to minimize the time for filling a glass or other container.
As used herein, "bottle" designates the source of a beverage, whether the source is actually a bottle or is a can, keg, or some other container. "Bottle" does not imply a particular material since carbonated beverages come in containers made from metal, plastic, glass, or other materials.
Corrugated tubes for beverages are known in the art, e.g. a straw having a corrugated section, but only for flexibility, not for controlling the flow of carbonated beverage.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a flow controller for carbonated beverages which delivers a large volume of beverage with a minimal amount of foaming.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flow controller for carbonated beverages which causes minimal outgassing of the dispensed beverage.
A further object of the invention to provide a flow controller for carbonated beverages which quickly delivers a predetermined volume of beverage within a minimal foaming.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flow controller for carbonated beverages which can be added to existing dispensers.
A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which is sealed to a bottle and dispenses carbonated beverage by means of accumulated pressure in the bottle.